Cost of moving EIR pole after Planning has been granted

sweetpea77 · 23-08-2018 2:42pm #1

I'm currently building a house in Wicklow. At the start of the build there was an ESB pole running through my site/foundations of house. As planning has been granted ESB moved the poles without charge. Due to sight lines at my entrance, WCC have requested the entrance to be moved 5 meters to the right of the original entrance. However there's here's an Eircom pole in the middle of the new location. They have no conditions in the planning regarding the movement of the pole. Obviously it needs to be moved, however should I foot the bill (quoted €2800 by EIR) or should Eir/WCC as they granted planning (11k already paid in local amenity tax)

Gumbo · 23-08-2018 3:04pm

sweetpea77 wrote: »

I'm currently building a house in Wicklow. At the start of the build there was an ESB pole running through my site/foundations of house. As planning has been granted ESB moved the poles without charge. Due to sight lines at my entrance, WCC have requested the entrance to be moved 5 meters to the right of the original entrance. However there's here's an Eircom pole in the middle of the new location. They have no conditions in the planning regarding the movement of the pole. Obviously it needs to be moved, however should I foot the bill (quoted €2800 by EIR) or should Eir/WCC as they granted planning (11k already paid in local amenity tax)

This is your bill.

Victor · 23-08-2018 3:05pm

The council won't be paying. If they had to pay, they would refuse to give planning permission.

Talk to Eir and see what their attitude is.

Gumbo · 23-08-2018 3:58pm

Victor wrote: »

The council won't be paying. If they had to pay, they would refuse to give planning permission.

Talk to Eir and see what their attitude is.

Eir already quoted €2800 to move it so I doubt their attitude will change.

fepper · 23-08-2018 4:07pm

Could you not put your entrance at some side of the pole and work it in from there,there's a telephone pole near my entrance as well,affects sight line a small bit,I presume the pole is in the middle of a ditch/hedge on side of road....

my3cents · 23-08-2018 4:21pm

OP you say the council have requested you move your entrance. If its not a planning stipulation then don't.

FortunaMan · 23-08-2018 6:49pm

I had a somewhat similar experience recently . Had an EIR pole dangerously left in the layby after we built our front boundary wall. We had no planning stipulation to move the pole and it was not affecting our sightlines or driveway.
After a few unhelpful discussions with EIR where I was told they wanted in the region on 3k I decided to leave it be.

A few weeks later one of the construction vehicles tipped off the pole and EIR network went down in the area. Few days later an engineer from eir came out to repair it and after a friendly chat he made a reccomendation for it be moved due to being a danger. One week later I arrived on site and there was a new pole just inside the boundary wall and old one gone. All at Eirs expence.

I realise that I was fortunate and your situation may be different but just wanted to share my experience as it seems to be a regular and unforseen problem for many people starting a build.

24-08-2018 6:32am

Keep contacting Eir and eventually you will get someone reasonable in their plant alterations department who you can have a proper conversation with.

We had a line running through our garden which needed to be moved before we could start our renovation and extension.

They insisted I had to fork out over 600e to move it but I refused to play ball (in a nice way), insisting I could not afford it and going with the line that it was a safety hazard and that someone could be hurt (which it kind of was even if the voltage going through a line is minimal).

Eventually they got sick of me and sent out an engineer, who was really good and even moved another line for me which was not part of his remit.

JoeA3 · 24-08-2018 6:47am

I’ve heard similar stories about Eir engineers. You need to be persistent and try to get past the “computer says no” people on the phone. Once you eventually get one of their engineers on site you’ll likely find that they’re reasonable and will do whatever necessary.

Whatwicklow · 27-08-2018 12:27pm

Would the pole be on your property?

sweetpea77 · 27-08-2018 12:54pm

Whatwicklow wrote: »

Would the pole be on your property?

Yep

my3cents · 27-08-2018 12:57pm

sweetpea77 wrote: »

Yep

Then the council would have know it was there when you put in the planning permission there error, too late for them now to be changing their minds.

Whatwicklow · 27-08-2018 1:08pm

sweetpea77 wrote: »

Yep

Is there anything on your title for it? If not revoke the consent. They can't reasonably expect you too be at a loss due to company equipment on your property.

Your ball your rules.

fepper · 27-08-2018 1:16pm

Whatwicklow wrote: »

Is there anything on your title for it? If not revoke the consent. They can't reasonably expect you too be at a loss due to company equipment on your property.

Your ball your rules.

Aren't most eir poles stuck into the middle of ditch/hedge at side of public roads

sweetpea77 · 27-08-2018 1:29pm

Whatwicklow wrote: »

Is there anything on your title for it? If not revoke the consent. They can't reasonably expect you too be at a loss due to company equipment on your property.

Your ball your rules.

Good Point. I'll do some more research on this. Thanks

Whatwicklow · 27-08-2018 1:54pm

fepper wrote: »

Aren't most eir poles stuck into the middle of ditch/hedge at side of public roads

Op said it was on his her property

Victor · 27-08-2018 2:06pm

fepper wrote: »

Aren't most eir poles stuck into the middle of ditch/hedge at side of public roads

Yes. Eir poles tend to be along roads. ESB Networks poles tend to be across fields.

fepper · 27-08-2018 2:18pm

Whatwicklow wrote: »

Op said it was on his her property

Isn't the problem here sightlines,a pole well inside a property should not cause sightline problems

Whatwicklow · 27-08-2018 2:41pm

The entrance was moved site to sight lines, the new spot has an eir pole in the way. OP confirmed the pole is on pvt property so can reasonably expect cooperation from eir in regard its relocation.

fepper · 27-08-2018 4:35pm

Whatwicklow wrote: »

The entrance was moved site to sight lines, the new spot has an eir pole in the way. OP confirmed the pole is on pvt property so can reasonably expect cooperation from eir in regard its relocation.

Right,you'd think the cc planning official would also have seen that the pole was there and wouldn't be suitable for a entrance,maybe op could raise this issue with official again and explain their now predicament

Cost of moving EIR pole after Planning has been granted

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